Supporting grassroots sports

Why we're backing my godson at Cambridge Rugby

Anyone who knows me knows I love sport, and especially team sports. They combine my need to be active with my passion for people, so you can imagine how chuffed I am that DNA Recruit is sponsoring my godson, Jesse Cotterill, for his 26/27 season with Cambridge Rugby!

Having grown up on a farm in the middle of nowhere in Australia, I missed a big chunk of his life. For years I followed his rugby from the other side of the world. But now I get to support him in person by shouting as loudly as I can from the sidelines. 

His first home start came on Ladies Day, which the club ran in support of Cancer Research, and DNA were Double Player of the Match sponsors on the day. It was a great way to kick off the season, and I’m excited to see more tackles and scrums in action. 

DNA supports local excellence 

We show up because it's a way to support the community around us and connect with the people in it. Building a remote-first business, we’re conscious not to lose sight of what matters: showing up.  

Besides cheering on Jesse, I’m getting the chance to get to know the Cambridge community properly. Relationships are still the bedrock of everything we do at DNA, and the strongest ones are built face to face over time.

A lot of our week happens on screens, and it would be easy to become another logo people scroll past on LinkedIn. I'd much rather be a face you recognise. That’s how we’re building trust in our team. 

Starting conversations

Spending time at the club has reminded me how much easier it is to meet people when you're not trying too hard. 
Most of my best business relationships started with an ordinary chat about something else entirely, and plenty of them started watching a game together.

If this is new to you, these are some tips I’ve picked up over the years:

1. Start with whatever's in front of you. At a rugby match, that's usually the game or the queue for a coffee, and both are far easier openers than asking someone what they do.
2. Ask questions you're curious about. How people know the club or what brought them along tends to lead somewhere more interesting than a job title, so let the conversation go wherever it goes.
3. Listen more than you talk and remember the little things. If someone mentions their daughter plays in the under-12s, ask how she got on the next time you see them.
4. Follow up within a few days. A quick message that picks up on something you talked about will stick far better than a business card in a coat pocket.

That's how a chat turns into a relationship, and in recruitment, relationships are everything. The business side tends to follow on its own once you get on.

Cambridge Rugby runs partner networking events through the year, starting in December, along with plenty of matchdays in between. If you're a local business or a fellow sponsor, come and find me at one of them. And if you're thinking about your next hire, give me a shout...

See you at the next game, 

Ali Wallace
CEO, DNA Recruit